Cavanagh, Zimmerlink criticized
I read with amusement the commentary Michael Cavanagh put in Tuesday’s Herald-Standard newspaper.
Cavanagh is a convicted felon as a result of committing insurance fraud and was lodged in the Fayette County prison in 2003. Cavanagh should know better than most we have a need for a new jail. For example, without proper space to council and rehabilitate inmates, they will continue to commit crimes when they are released.
The statements he made in his article are not remotely close to the truth. The fictional nature of his article was not all his own doing as he had help. As I was conducting the county department head meeting on Monday afternoon, I saw Cavanagh walk through the commissioner’s lobby and directly to Zimmerlink’s office where he camped out for hours.
I am surprised it took them that long to write such a poorly written article. But their intent was not to write a factual article, only a political scare tactic article, as I have come to learn is Zimmerlink’s only field of expertise.
It is not surprising this collaborative effort had no grasp of the facts. Since my July 13, 2012, letter asking for volunteers to study the prison problem, Zimmerlink has not volunteered, nor attended, any of the many meetings held over the past year.
In fact, her only contributions have been to delay progress, disseminate misinformation and cause chaos and confusion. I of course would prefer Zimmerlink to be part of the solution, not perpetuate the problem.
In fact, I wish this problem would have been solved in Zimmerlink’s first term in office when Commissioner Hardy wanted to fix this long-standing prison problem.
They had the benefit of prison studies which predicted the mess we are in today. During Zimmerlink’s first term as chairman of the board of commissioners, property taxes were raised 60 percent, which should have left plenty of money to obtain a bond to solve this problem. But since Zimmerlink lacked the leadership skills to solve this problem then or at any time during her last 9½ years in office, we are now faced with a financially catastrophic problem to solve which must be dealt with now.
This is not a political game to play at the detriment of the taxpayers but a real problem that requires intelligent, thoughtful participation by dedicated people willing to solve a complicated problem on behalf of the county’s citizens. This county can no longer afford to play politics simply to prolong a political career that has proven to be ineffective, insincere and counterproductive.